Tag Archives: hosny

The controversy over the nomination of Egyptian Cultural Minister Faruq Hosny for position to head the UN cultural and scientific body, UNESCO, was finally resolved when Bulgarian Irina Bokova won a close vote for the job. Hosny has long been the favorite but his candidacy ran into trouble when it was revealed he had opposed placement of books from Israel in libraries in Egypt, hardly the mark of a man devoted to the free access of people to contrasting views. Egyptian officials denounced the Bokova victory as caused by a “clash of civilizations” and blamed “America, Europe, and the Jewish lobby” for ending the Hosny candidacy.

Bokova believes she won partly due to the feeling among many for women equity although she admitted the book banner controversy certainly hurt Hosny’s chances. Frankly, it is ludicrous to blame a “Jewish lobby” for victory in an organization which has repeatedly denounced Israel. Perhaps, if Mr.Hosmy respected the right to pursue knowledge without concern for nation of origin, he might have won the UNESCO post